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HomeGovernment CodeDiv. 3Pt. 2Ch. 6Art. 3§ 12544 Escheat Proceeding Cost Recovery

§ 12544 Escheat Proceeding Cost Recovery

Government Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 12544 Escheat Proceeding Cost Recovery

Key Takeaways

  • •If the Attorney General's office takes someone to court to claim abandoned property, they can get back the money they spent on the case.
  • •The money they get back comes from the abandoned property they won in court.
  • •They can't take more than 10% of the abandoned property's value to cover their costs.

Example

The state finds an old bank account with $10,000 that no one has claimed for many years.

The Attorney General's office takes the case to court to claim the money for the state. They spend $800 on the case. They can ask to get that $800 back from the $10,000, but they can't ask for more than $1,000 (which is 10% of $10,000).

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 12544 Escheat Proceeding Cost Recovery

If an escheat proceeding is prosecuted by the staff of the Attorney General’s office, the Attorney General shall recover, by presenting a claim to the Controller, all costs and charges of commencing and prosecuting the suit, from the funds so escheated. Those claims shall be paid from the Abandoned Property Account in the Unclaimed Property Fund and credited to and in augmentation of any support appropriation of the Attorney General. The costs and charges may not in any case exceed 10 per cent of the sum or sums actually escheated to the State in those suits. (Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 626, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2001.)

Last verified: January 22, 2026

Key Terms

escheat proceedingAttorney GeneralAbandoned Property AccountUnclaimed Property Fund

Related Statutes

  • § 12540 State Property Escheat Investigations
  • § 12541 State Property Escheat Actions
  • § 12542 Attorney General’S Delegated Counsel
  • § 12543 Counsel Compensation From Escheats
  • § 12500 Attorney General Salary Inclusion

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Government Code. Section 12544.
View Official Source